99-year-old Kentucky WWII veteran receives Purple Heart 81 years after being wounded in action

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB/WAVE) — A World War II veteran from Bedford, Kentucky received the Purple Heart Wednesday, 81 years after he was wounded in combat, and just months before his 100th birthday.

Glenn Fisher, 99, had made a simple wish earlier this year: to receive the honor before turning 100 in October. This week, that wish became reality after officials corrected a decades-old error in his military records.

Fisher enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1943 at just 16 years old and served in World War II. In 1945, he was wounded while waiting to cross the Rhine River in Europe. He was treated at a hospital before returning to his unit and completing his service.

The recognition was delayed for decades due to an incorrect recording of the date of his injury, officials said.

Fisher said the moment has been hard to believe.

"I’ve been so excited that I haven’t been able to sleep at night," Fisher said. "What a wonderful thing is happening. Sometimes I wake up and think, is this really true?"

Fisher will turn 100 in October.